Dinner Date?
by CSI4EVERR
Summary: How did they go from coworkers to lovers? My take on how it all began. Rated M for the last chapter, ch. 9. I do not own CSI or any of its characters.
1. Bad Hearing?

**Disclaimer for all chapters: I do not own CSI or any characters from the show... unfortunately. Enjoy the story. Be kind it's my first story. Review. Thanks - Amy**

**Bad Hearing?**

"Let's have dinner."

"Excuse me?"

"Have dinner with me," looking at her sceptical expression, he immediately followed with a quiet, "Please have dinner with me?"

"Um... sure, I guess." Looking into her locker at her jacket and few items on the shelf she turned back to Grissom and added, "Just give me a minute to get my things, Ok?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I just have to speak to Ecklie for a minute and then I'll meet you in the parking lot."

Sara turned back to her open locker and took off her vest and pulled out her jacket. She quickly placed her vest on the now bare hook. Grabbing her cell, sunglasses and bag she shut her locker door and walked out of the locker room. Stepping out of the locker room she began to question Grissom's sanity. _Why in the world is he asking me out to dinner... now?_ _Perhaps Nick's abduction from a few weeks ago has something to do with it. Maybe he needs someone to talk to. He has seemed a little out of place lately then again maybe he just doesn't want to slip up again and lose his team. That can't be it. Grissom doesn't talk about anything, other than a case... well at least not to me he doesn't. _Still confused Sara slowly started down the hall towards the parking lot. All the while still thinking about Grissom's reasoning behind his impromptu invitation, Sara hadn't managed to focus on the group heading toward her.

"Hey Sara," Catherine yelled from the door of the break room.

"Huh?" looking up she caught the team heading toward her. "Oh hey guys," turning to Nick she asked, "Solved your case I'm guessing?" Looking at his beaming smile she was sure he did.

"Yeah. No problem. Hey, you want to come with us to the diner? We're starving, figured we'd catch up over a meal. We just came back from Grissom's office to ask him if he wanted to join, but it looks like he took off on time for once. So what do you say?"

"I'd love to guys but I can't today. Promised a friend we'd hang out this week. I've been putting it off for a while. I think it's long overdue. Another time?"

"Sure that's fine. We'll getcha next time."

As she began to walk away another voice was heard, "Hey Sara?" Turning back to the group Greg took a step toward Sara and asked, "Maybe you could let us meet this friend of yours sometime?"

Rolling her eyes Sara turned to Greg with her best smile and replied, "Yeah, sure Greg I'll set a date next week."

With wide eyes Greg quickly found his voice and asked a rather frantic, "Really?"

Walking away, she turned her head looking at Greg and laughed a quick "No." Turning around shaking her head with a smile on her lips she walked toward the exit.


	2. Anxious Much?

**Anxious much?**

As Sara waited for Grissom she heard some voices coming from the front doors to the lab. Looking up she watched as the others strolled out of the lab conversing and laughing. About five minutes after they left the front door opened again and Sara sighed as she stared at him. With his greying hair neatly kept and his black, baggy pants and light, black jacket covering yet another piece of black material, the man looked good; however, today his face spoke volumes, none of which were pointing to anything good. He looked run down. His eyes were tired looking, as dark circles were beginning to show around them. His face looked as though he had aged years in mere weeks. As he stood there, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light of the sun, he reached into his pocket and searched for his sunglasses. Finding them he quickly put them on and started to search the parking lot with his eyes. Slowly his head turned in her direction and a smile graced his lips. He started to walk toward her, slipping his phone from his pocket, he began to dial.

Watching with curiosity, Sara became startled when her own cell phone began to ring. Looking down at it sitting on her console she read the ID and smiled. Reaching for her phone she quickly opened it and answered. "Is there a reason you're calling when you're only meters away?"

Looking down toward the ground Grissom took a deep breath. Realizing he still hadn't spoken, he shook his head and simply stated, "Do you know the restaurant by Calville Bay, the one that serves calamari?"

"Just off Ramdian Road, right?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Meet me there at 7?"

A bit confused Sara looked at her watch and realized she had quite a few hours to spare before dinner. _Of course, he didn't mean right this minute, it's only morning_. "Sure. 7 it is. See you there." Before he had a change of mind she quickly hung up. Though she wasn't sure where this date -if you could call it one - would lead, she was sure she didn't want it to end before it had even begun.

Whatever his reason for the sudden invitation; Sara wasn't going to dwell on it. Instead, she was going home to sleep so she would be well rested before their next step in their unnamed relationship - good or bad.

**I'm going to do my best at updating this story seeing how school is starting up again tomorrow. It all depends on reviews please leave one. Thanks. - Amy**


	3. Making Amends?

**I love the reviews! Thank you so much. I plan to finish the story so don't fret. It just may take some time. College is just starting up again as I said before. This week should be alright so I'll try to make a chapter every day, more if possible. First week is always pretty laid back. I hope you are enjoying the story. As for the 'love' request... I'm getting there no worries haha Keep the rating in mind. I hope I answered your question about his reasoning. Not quite as telling but well, you know Grissom. Keep up the reviews as I said I'm loving them. Here, without further ado, chapter 3. Enjoy! Leave a comment. Thanks. Amy**

**Making Amends?**

"Do you come here often?"

"Once in a while, I come for the calamari." he said. As Sara looked up at Grissom he seemed to have been contemplating his next thought but would not voice it. Finally, when the silence was deafening, Sara began to ask her next question.

"Alone?"

Grissom looked up at Sara with a grin on his face holding back a laugh. Sara, however, not understanding his reasoning behind it, carried a look of confusion on her face. He quickly spoke up, "Must all women ask that?"

"All women?" Sara asked laughing. "You mean you've been asked before?"

"Yes, I have actually. Catherine and I came here on a case a little while back. She asked if I had come here before."

With a sly smirk on her face she then stated, "You consider Catherine and I 'all women'. I'm sure even you know more than two." He simply shrugged in response. Since her question still had not been answered, she decided to play along. Hoping for an answer, she asked, "What did you tell her?"

"Something along the lines of, 'No, sometimes I have a beer with it.'"

Sara sat back and sighed with a look of slight defeat on her face. Imagining the look Catherine must have given him when he purposely deviated from the answer, made her want to laugh. However, as clever as the comment was, Sara simply wanted the truth. Pulling her from her thoughts, Grissom spoke up, "To answer your question though, yes, I enjoy coming for the solitude, to remove myself from work and to get a prospective on things. Besides, the calamari is terrific." He finished with that boyish grin that stops her heart every time.

If it weren't for her state of shock she may have smiled back. _Did he just... confide in me? He must be losing his mind._ _Wait a minute, he said he enjoyed the solitude. _"Grissom?" Looking up at her, to give her his full attention, she took it as a sign to continue. "If you come for the solitude... why am I here?"

Knowing eventually she would ask about his sudden invitation, Grissom was left with no choice but to answer. Looking down at his hands overlapping one another, he sighed. "Sara... I've been thinking. I mean I want to make amends with you. When Ecklie split up the team... for once in my career... I was worried. I wasn't losing my team because of an error with a matchbook. That was just the tip of the iceberg. I mean I'm sure jealousy was a rather large issue... but my supervision... well, it was called into question as well. Perhaps I'm over thinking this but if I were a better supervisor, nothing would have pointed to the contrary. Sometimes I just get so carried away that I forget we're supposed to work as a team. With you and the counselling thing... I realized we somehow just stopped communicating. Like I said before, you shouldn't have had to cover for me. I apologize."

In complete confusion, Sara tried to digest what he was telling her. Finally after a few moments of swirling his meanings in her head, with a hint of hesitation in her voice, she asked, "So we're here to create a stronger bond between employee and supervisor?"

Grissom considered his words carefully before replying, "No, not entirely." With a smirk on his face he simply added, "You've always been more to me than an employee."

Sara couldn't help but to smile back at him. A display of relief was obvious on his features. It was the first time he had spoken what he knew in his heart of hearts. There was a moment of eye contact in complete silence, not deafening like just a few moments before, but more of a comfortable, positive silence. That is until the waiter showed up with their orders.


	4. Possible Insight?

**I love the reviews. Thank you so much for both reviewing and even just reading. I'm shocked by how many people have read my story so far. So just for you, I'm writing this chapter during my break. Today is kind of a bad day first class begins at 8 in the morning and I'm not done until 8 tonight. I'm going to try to write this chapter along with another... just to get ahead lmao So, please enjoy. Oh and yes I do love Grissom! He may not be direct with his feelings but when it comes to Sara, he still makes his point haha**

**Possible Insight?**

Dinner was lengthy but if you were to ask Sara or Grissom how long they sat in that quaint restaurant, they would have the slightest clue. After just answering yet another question, Grissom managed to look around the room. Noticing that the waiters and waitresses were cleaning up, he chose then to look at his watch. With a hint of shock on his face and a little surprise in his voice, he decided he should make his observation known, "Uh, Sara?"

"I'm overstepping, aren't I? You can always tell me when to stop. I mean I don't mean to ask so many questions, it's just that..." She suddenly stopped talking and looked into the eyes of an amused Grissom starring back. With a shy smile she added, "I'm sorry I'm over talking."

"It's fine, I enjoy your company. It's just that I don't think this is the place to continue."

Then a look of confusion over took Sara's features. "I'm sorry?"

Grissom burst out into a soft chuckle and added, "I mean I think they are trying to close. We're the only ones here and it's now quarter after midnight. That's 15 minutes past their regular hours."

A look of dawning replaced the confusion and Sara, not wanting the night to end, let out a low, "Oh. I guess dinner is over then."

Grissom had been so consumed by Sara's light, playful banter; he himself did not want the night to end. Speaking up, he decided to, in his own way, ask for a continuance. "I think we should leave now. I was thinking... maybe we could take a walk down the pier?"

Relieved he had not wished her a good night but rather an extension, Sara decided to throw caution to the wind and relied, "Sure. Lead the way."

Finally getting up, leaving a very relieved staff to now close up for the night, Grissom placed his hand at the small of Sara's back to lead her outside to the pier.

"You're quiet" Grissom finally said.

"I don't want to say the wrong thing. How about you? You haven't had a chance to say much. I mean other than participating in 21 questions. She said with a light laugh. "Perhaps you should use this time for a little retribution." she finished.

"All right then. Hmmm... how about... why do you want to be a CSI?"

With a quick turn of the head, Sara had a look of bewilderment on her face, "I told you when you asked at the seminar in San Francisco all those years ago."

"No no. I mean now. You see... we all have our reasons for becoming a CSI in the beginning but once we have some years under our belt our reasoning changes. After seeing so much on the job we start to question our initial motives. I know why you became a CSI but why, after all these years, do you still want to be one?"

After a minute of thinking, Sara began to speak with conviction obvious in her voice, "We are witnesses to the most tragic outcome of anyone's life. I see the victims loved ones and I just can't help how I feel. My need to help is so strong, that I just can't turn away. To me when we solve a case we not only bring comfort to the families but to ourselves as well. One less criminal on the streets and an unknown number of crimes prevented."

Looking back at Sara, who in turn was focusing intently on him, smiled. After a brief moment of silence he then said, "Well, that is probably one of the most insightful pieces of information you have ever given me."

Noticing almost immediately what he was attempting, Sara blurted, "Wait a minute. You're not dropping the topic that easily. It's your turn."

"I thought I was supposed to ask 21 questions. Isn't that how the game is played?" he asked with a sly smile.

"All right then how about we try a little give and take? Ask a question and you yourself must also answer in return."

"Ok, well I do it for the rush. It's like a jolt of pure pleasure when you catch the bad guy. It gives me sense of relief, knowing if for just that moment, the world had a bit of stability. That perhaps civilization does exist."

"That seems to add false hope to reality... don't you think?"

"Maybe all we have is hope. Imagine the world without it. In times of devastation, we rely on our hopes that all will be well. It gives us the will to live for yet another day."

As Sara looked down at her feet with a sudden sadness she spoke with a hushed tone, "Hope doesn't make things happen."

With equal sadness Grissom simply added, "No, it doesn't." Walking for a few minutes more, he finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Maybe we should start heading back."

"All right."

Once they returned to the parking lot, Grissom stopped walking. Both confused and curious, as Sara stopped she turned to face him. "You know Sara, I still don't know what to do about this..." waving his hand between the two, "but I'm willing to try."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't say it if it weren't true." With that finally statement he smiled and wished her a good night.


	5. Realizing Hope?

**Great reviews so far. Love the compliments. I realize you're getting very impatient with the progress of their relationship... lmao sorry. But remember we're talking about Grissom and Sara who on television took several years to get together... don't fret I'm not going to take years putting it together... just be patient and hopefully you'll find the wait worth it. The speed is picking up. So... here we are chapter 5. Enjoy!**

**Realizing Hope?**

As we started heading away in our own directions, I couldn't help but feel the need to... "Um, Grissom?" I started moving towards him with speed in my step.

There was a crack of thunder roaring in the background as I spoke. Rain was soon to follow. He swiftly turned around to the sound of his name being called over the noise. We were mere inches apart once he was facing me and as I gazed into his eyes they were speaking volumes to me. I knew my next move was something both of us wanted. I raised my hand ever so gently to his cheek in a quick movement, caressing it with my thumb, and took the plunge head first. Without giving him the chance to realize what I was about to do, I closed the space between us. A slow, soft connection of lips; shock was relevant on his face.

Somewhere in the moment I thought, _perhaps I'm overstepping again. He's not returning the kiss. Maybe I'm moving too fast. Or maybe... _Before I could finish my thought of ever growing worries, I felt his arms slowly creep up my back encircling me with many emotions. Not a moment later, he was returning my affections. I felt the light drops of water cascading down on us. The rain no longer held in the clouds rather it dropped down on us, as if in slow motion. I felt it washing over me – over us – as if it were trying to rid us of our past difficulties with our relationship. It may have been cool to the touch but I never noticed. I was in the arms of the man I waited years to have.

His lips were smooth and gentle in contrast to his rough beard, yet the mixture was comforting me in ways I would never have imagined. I could get lost in one of his kisses. I knew this was the way it was destined to be. We were no longer beating around the bush but rather being honest with one another and _hoping_ for the best.

My eyes grew. _Hope_. My sudden realization did not go unnoticed by Grissom. He pulled from the kiss to look at me with a hint of curiosity. "I know that look. You figured something out." he said.

Snapping back from my thoughts, I answered without hesitation, "I just realized something."

"That would be?"

"Hope. Perhaps, I prejudged the concept."

Putting the pieces together, of her simple statement, it dawned on him replacing his curiosity. "Maybe, maybe not. As you said, hope doesn't make things happen. Hope does however, make the strength of the need to complete the action that much stronger."

Understanding I replied, "Everything has an intricate role to play. No matter how minor."

Looking back at me with a smile gracing his lips, he quietly replied, "Even hope." Looking away, he slowly began walking with me to my vehicle.

I smiled at the thought. Though never understanding it before, I made sense of the term. Hope wasn't as useless as I believed it to be. Even though hope exists as a small piece in the puzzle, it's still very much relevant in solving it. Before I knew it we were stopped in front of my car. I turned to face him, "Grissom?"

Gazing back at me, he spoke, "Yes?"

"Good night." I said with that sparkling smile I used for just him; the one that held sincerity.

"Good night, Sara." He spoke softly but loud enough for my ears to hear him. His face broke out into that smile, his smile. The smile he reserved for his happiest moments. Few times have I saw it. Times he'd made a breaking discovery in a case which led to an automatic arrest within the hour. I knew from that moment, we were headed in the right direction. With our final good nights we parted our separate ways.

Lying in bed I couldn't stop the rush of thoughts entering into my head. I wanted to tell him much more. However, knowing Grissom I knew a simple good night was all he wanted. If I were to tell him how I truly felt about tonight, I knew from his character, that I would make him uncomfortable. If I knew one thing about him after all these years, it was that he was private. He did not like being involved in emotionally intimate speeches; he never knew how to handle them. Knowing that what we were entering into is still new to both of us; anything too deep would send him running. Taking things slow was my best approach to a successful conclusion.

For the last time that night, Sara Sidle smiled before her eyes drew shut. Grissom was no longer going to torment her dreams with unrealistic desires. _Sleep_ was a sure thing tonight.

**Thanks for keeping with my story, reading and/or reviewing. Hope this chapter gave you what you were looking for... especially those who wanted the kiss haha Sorry I didn't give it to you last chapter but I had to leave something for this one... please forgive me haha**


	6. Seconds Anyone?

**Thank you again for reading and/or reviewing. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying my story. This chapter is going to help move things along. Mind you it's not as long as others, but it fills in the space nicely. I almost wasn't going to write this tonight. I'm just beat today. Thank god it's Friday! Haha Gotta love college. Hope you enjoy this and I'm going to start writing the next chapter right now. Expect to see it sometime tomorrow. Ciao for now. Amy**

**Seconds anyone?**

The clock's digital numbers were shadowing red on Sara's face, screaming 11 o'clock. Not but five minutes later was her cell phone ringing. A frustrated, "Argggg," was all that was heard. Groggily, she opened an eye to glance at her clock. A little sleepy still, yet alert enough to know her phone was ringing; she slowly picked it up to eye the caller display. Her grogginess was quickly replaced by one of urgency and utter happiness.

"Hey," she answered into the phone with a cheerful tone.

"I didn't wake you did I?" he asked concerned.

"No, no of course not... well yeah, you did, but seeing it's 11, I think I should get up. Thanks."

"For?"

"Being my wakeup call," she said with a giggle escaping her lips.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "Listen, I was thinking, maybe we should have dinner again tonight. What do you think?"

"We have to work tonight."

"I haven't forgotten."

Although dinner would be much shorter this time, I was still happy to spend time with him. "Sure."

"Yeah?" he asked with a bit of surprise.

"Yeah."

"Come to my place around five?"

"I'll see you then," I said just before I hung up. Looking back at the clock I realized I had just under six hours. I was enjoying where we were heading. I had a fantastic time with him last night. I was beginning to wonder if he planned for it to happen. Rarely do we have days off together, but there we were last night, together. Our jobs did not have any restrictions for us. Last night it was just Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle.

With a bit of bounce in her step she climbed out of bed and into the bathroom. She happened to glance in the mirror and barely recognized the woman looking back at her. She was... happy. Her features were soft and she looked well rested. Soon she looked away and continued her journey to her shower, turning it on. She quickly undressed as the shower warmed.

Stepping into his shower, Grissom couldn't help but smile as Sara Sidle drifted into his mind. In less than six hours he would be having dinner with her again. Yesterday was perfect. Neither one thought of lab rules and regulations; they were simply there to enjoy one another's company. There was so much more to Sara than he realized before. She had many questions. It reminded him of the girl in the front row with her hair in a ponytail, paying attention to every detail as he discussed Entomology and it's relation to Forensics. She was eager for knowledge then just as she was now; always thriving on new information. Sara, in many ways, was just like Grissom. Perhaps that was the reason for the attraction, his need for someone to understand him, someone who wouldn't judge him. Like a brick wall, realization struck him. At that moment Grissom was never surer in his life, Sara was the woman he needed. Satisfied, he stepped out of the shower. Wrapping himself in a towel, he walked to his closet to dress for work.

Finally washed up, Sara stepped out of the shower wrapping a white cotton towel around her body. Once again she approached her mirror wiping it clean of steam. While her thoughts returned to Grissom, Sara's normal routine was easily completed on autopilot. _I'm meeting him at his home. Are we eating there? Or are we leaving from there together? Catherine had mentioned before that he could cook. _Pulling herself from her thoughts, Sara now found herself, at 4 o'clock, standing in her bedroom staring into her full length mirror. Though she was dressed in work attire there was something about her that would make any man look twice. _Perfect. _Half an hour later_, _she walked to her front door, slipped on her shoes, grabbed her cell phone and car keys, and headed toward her next destination.

**I'm sure some of you are happy to finally get some insight into Grissom's thoughts. Seeing how I never cover them. And for that the explanation is simple, Grissom is well Grissom. Rarely do we ever know what he is thinking. I'm just trying to fit my story the best I can to their personalities. Hope you are enjoying this so far.**


	7. Cooking Lessons?

**Well here's chapter 7! Yay!! haha. I'm getting around to it pretty late I know. I finally got around to cleaning my room up and decided to rearrange it at the same time. That and I'm doing my laundry haha This is the weekend right? I mean it's time to relax, isn't it? Haha Oh well, gotta do it sometime. Well I'm sure you don't wanna here about all that so without further ado, chapter 7! Enjoy. Love the reviews by the way thank you so much.**

**Cooking Lessons?**

_Knock, knock, knock. _Grissom's head popped up from the oven to look toward his front door. _Knocking? What time is it? _Looking down at his watch, hequickly took notice of the time. _Wow five o'clock already._

_He didn't forget did he? Maybe he's not here? Oh shit! Is this the right house? Wait I can hear footsteps. _The door was being unlocked. The latch could be heard slowly creeping out of its home. The door knob turning, a faint clicking noise and the door began to swing open. As she looked up, there standing before her was Gil Grissom. But not the Grissom she was accustomed to. This man was wearing a nice, fitting pair of faded, blue jeans and a short sleeved, light gray dress shirt with two wide, dark gray stripes on either shoulder continuing down the length of the shirt. There was a white dish towel tossed over his shoulder. His feet were still bare. "Hey."

Bringing her out of her reverie, she brought her eyes up to meet his looking back at her with that perfect smile. "Hey Grissom."

"Where are we?"

"What?"

"Where are we?"

A little curious as to where this conversation was headed she answered. "Well if you invite me in, we're in your townhouse."

"Oh sorry. Come in."

"Thank you."

"And you're right; we are standing in my home. We're not at work and shift hasn't started. That means at this point in time I'm not your boss and you are not my employee. Therefore, I think it's safe to call me Gil." he smiled at her. Then walking back into the kitchen he added, "Take a seat here," pointing to the bar stool in front of his island counter, "It won't be ready for a while yet." With that he headed back to cutting some vegetables.

Some short time passed in silence until Sara spoke, "It's strange."

He stopped cutting and looked up at her, "I'm sorry?"

"It's strange, calling you Gil I mean," she glanced at him and saw the amused look he was giving her. "I'm just so used to Grissom," she added with a shy smile.

"Just humour me."

"Ok." Watching him as he returned to his task another moment of silence passed. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Amuse me."

"Sounds easy enough. Good thing you didn't say anything relating to cooking."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not much of a cook. I barely cook anything, let alone anything edible. I'm so used to eating on the run now that my idea of cooking involves a phone and take-out menu." Grissom let out a loud laugh, startling Sara. She then joined him. After she calmed a little she added, "I know, I know. Sad isn't it."

"Truthfully I'm not surprised. I don't think many of us have time for anything let alone cooking. It's just become one of my outlets, when I have the time mind you. I find it relaxing and fun when I have someone to cook with."

"Well you're out of luck tonight if you're looking for a cooking partner. I have many talents none involve a kitchen."

He swiftly moved around the island to her side. Standing in front of her he said, "All the more reason. Come on, humour me," he paused to look into her eyes, "please?"

"All right. Remember this was your idea. If anything goes wrong –"

"It's my fault." He finished for her. Reaching for her hand he took it gently into his. They began to walk together back to his previous place and he handed her an extra towel that was draped over the handle of his oven. "Here you may want this in case we make a mess." He looked down at his clothing then back at her adding with a shrug and a smile, "I was dressed for work."

At that moment Sara began to laugh. "How?" she asked in between a fit of giggles.

Smiling at her actions he began to explain, "I needed garlic powder. It's on the top shelf of my spice cabinet." He pointed to the cabinet above the stove. "I hit the bowl of crushed tomatoes with the hand I was using to steady myself. I just finished cleaning up and starting over when you knocked."

"That would have been a sight to see." She began to laugh as she pictured him covered in tomatoes. "Definitely one for the records," she added.

With a mock glare he said, "I'm glad you find it so amusing."

"I'm sorry Gil..." she stopped laughing and looked into his eyes.

It was now his turn to laugh. Sporting a smile he said, "See... was that so hard?"

"I guess not," she said smiling back at him. "I am sorry though. I'm supposed to be amusing you and yet you're the one entertaining me."

"Shall we?"

"Let's"

With that they began to work side by side. Grissom began to show Sara how to make the tortellini sauce. Once they were finished making the sauce, Grissom pulled out the vegetable dough to make the tortellini pasta rings.

"What are we going to do with that?"

"Have you ever eaten Parmesan Tortellini before?"

Thinking for a moment she said, "Once."

"Well we're going to make the rings with this."

"You make it from scratch?"

"Yes, I do."

"Even outside of the lab you're diligent. I like that."

With a blush he began to spread flour out on the counter. Placing the dough down, he started to roll it out. He made the first ring with her watching him intently. "That's how you make one. Easy enough, right?" He then grabbed her left hand palm up and placed a piece of dough in it. "Now you try." She smiled at him and then slowly repeated the steps he had shown her. Though it took her longer, she did manage to have the same turn out. He smiled at the outcome and quietly added, "Apparently you are as well." He started to work on another ring. A faint blush crept to her cheeks as she started to repeat the process a second time.

A little while later, they found themselves sitting down with a bowl of pasta in front of each of them. Swallowing her first bite Sara couldn't believe how good it was. "This is excellent, Gil. I've never eaten anything like it. You can cook for me anytime."

"If I remember correctly, I believe I had help."

"Yes but I was just doing what you told me to do. You're the real cook here."

"From where I was standing, I would say that you could cook with the best of them." Taking another bite, both went silent, blushing profusely.

Finally after a brief silence Sara spoke up. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I really do think with a little practice you could cook anything."

"I appreciate the compliment." Thinking for a moment longer she added, "Practice right?"

"Yes. Perhaps you could practice with someone to teach you."

Slowly turning away from her pasta she faced him, "Are you volunteering?"

Looking up into her eyes he said, "Yes, I think I am." Looking away from her eyes he saw that her glass was now empty. Pointing to her glass he asked, "Would you like a refill?"

"That would be great, thank you." Getting up to fill her glass their eyes met once again. "Gil, I really do love this. It's the best pasta I've ever had. You're a great teacher."

"You were always an excellent student."

Silence over came them but their eyes never faltered away from the others. Slowly ,Sara reached for his forearm to halt his actions. At first he seemed nervous, unsure of what his next move should be. As always he never had to worry because Sara was already making the next move. Tilting her head toward him he got the message. Putting down the bottle, he took her face into his hand and bent down meeting her half way.

Their lips connected, much like the first time, but now there was something different about it. Both of them could feel the change. Feelings deepened as did the kiss. Soon his tongue was trailing across her lips where they met. She was surprised at first by him being the one to advance however her surprise was quickly forgotten as she opened her mouth to his silent plead. She raised her arms, placing her hand on his lower back. Gradually they began to glide up from his lower back to his shoulders, to rap around his neck and caress the hair on the back of his head. She used her position to pull him down further to her. Somewhere in the midst of everything, he managed to move his hands from her cheeks to wrap around her lower back, gently guiding her to stand in front of him.

He was completely mesmerized by her actions. She was slowly rolling her tongue around his, stroking the length of it every now and then. She withdrew her tongue carefully breaking the bond but not before she sucked his lip into her mouth giving it a gentle bite for extra measure. Both breathing rapidly, they just stood in place gazing into each other's eyes. All the truths they ever wanted to know about the other were being spoken quite clearly. He began removing his arms from her body and she took that as a sign to release her hold as well. Without speaking he looked at her hands taking them in his own he guided her to his couch.

He sat down as she stood there watching him. Their hands still connected he started to pull her hands toward his body as they kept eye contact. She slowly kneeled next to him and from there they returned to their previous actions. Neither broke the connection until his alarm clock in his bedroom started to beep loudly. Quickly breaking from their contact, Grissom looked down at his watch. They had 

to be at work in an hour. He looked back at Sara giving her an apologetic look he stood up and held out his hand to her, "Miss Sidle, work awaits."

She smiled at his words and reached for his hands and he pulled her up from the couch. They walked back to the island and began to clean up. Less than 10 minutes later they found themselves standing at his front door ready to leave. Looking at him, she then realized. "Um, Gil?"

"Sara."

Smiling she continued, "You're not dressed."

"I'm sorry." He looked down at his clothes and then realized what she meant. "Oh, I almost forgot. You go ahead. I'll meet you at the lab."

"All right." She moved toward him taking his face in her hands, she gave him a chaste kiss. "I'll see you at work." With that she walked out the door leaving a breathless Grissom to go get ready for work.

**I think this is the longest chapter I wrote yet. Hope you liked it. The next chapter is going to be a bit further in time, just to speed things up. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	8. Formal or Casual?

**Sunday already?! Where did the weekend go? Well here's chapter 8! This story will be ending in the next chapter... when they finalize their relationship. I know, I know that's what you've been **_**really**_** waiting for, isn't it? Haha So here you go... the beginning of their last date... for my story anyway. Thanks for reading so far and or reviewing. Enjoy! Amy**

**Formal or Casual?**

After dating for a few weeks, Sara was more than ready to move forward with their relationship. They had several more dinners, each ending in frustration on her part. The sexual tension was rising and they both could feel it. She knew her feelings were deepening and she knew that it was mutual. For many years they had been dancing around each other, occasionally flirting, innocent touching and the looks. Wanting, needing one another, yet never attempting to make the first move. Not to say Sara wasn't trying on her part but she chose to act in the worst of times.

Grissom always danced around the idea, however, as her supervisor she became his forbidden fruit, just out of his reach. Fear didn't only derive from their professional positions; many of his fears were personal. He was terrified of rejection, of being lost and ultimately losing control. Deeper than rejection, he couldn't stand the thought of someone truly understanding him, _knowing_ him. It frightened him beyond belief. Letting someone get that close meant that there was no turning back. Was he willing to share himself with someone else? Could he? Looking back at through all the years they had known one another, she never pushed him. She offered herself to him on occasion and he had rejected her. Yet she would _willing_ try again, put herself out there; making herself vulnerable in hope that he could accept her. Why wasn't he able to be like her?

The past few weeks had given him something he never knew he possessed, strength. Gil Grissom, at that moment, realized he could move forward with the relationship. Sara had, in an indirect way, always known him on a deeper level. Simply put, they shared a connection; one that could not be forged. And he liked it.

After waking up at one in the afternoon, Grissom was ready to begin his day. This afternoon he was going to take Sara to one of his favourite places. Just the thought of her put a smile on his face. He always assumed that if he were to start a relationship with Sara, their work life would be awkward. To his surprise their work ethic never shifted in a different direction. It was a seamless transition. The team was benefiting as well. They were relieved to see that Sara and Grissom were no longer at one another's throats. The tension that was always there, dissipated. They worked in unison; listening and bouncing ideas off one another. Everyone was pleased with the change, not caring to know the reason. Pulling himself from his reverie he patted his way to his shower to get ready. In just two hours he was going to be spending his afternoon with the one woman that captured his heart.

Sara found herself waking up to her alarm clock buzzer going off. Usually she would groan, roll over and hit it into silence. But today things were different. She was looking forward to Grissom's surprise. She was curious as to where he was taking her. He wouldn't give her any information as to what they were doing other than it was one of his favourite places. She knew of few places he enjoyed. 

There were some restaurants, the amusement park, and a handful of museums he was also very fond of going to this body farm just on the outskirts of town.

Where ever they were going, he had said it was a casual environment. Rarely did he go to anything formal. In fact, he despised the thought of formal situations. She entertained the thought of Grissom in a suit having to pretend to be enjoying himself. She never found him to be ignorant but he was the kind of man to be found sharing a casual conversation with someone who was more like himself. He found that he was always the black sheep of the group. Politics was never his forte. He did not enjoy having to hold his tongue when he disagreed with someone. Nor could he stand it when someone spoke their opinion on a subject that they knew little about. Pulling her mind back to the task at hand, she crawled out of bed and tip toed into her bathroom to get ready for her outing with Grissom.

**I've decided to make the next chapter the last one... it's already written and you'll get your love scene... what do you think? Haha Thanks again for reading and/or reviewing. Love the compliments! Want the next chapter tonight? Let me know. Otherwise you wait haha**


	9. Weather Cancellation?

**Well I've decided this is the last chapter for this story. It's my first sex scene so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for reviewing and/or reading. I had fun writing this one. So I hope it lives up to your expectations. I'm hearing sequel... I'm not sure yet but I'll see what I can do... if I do I think I'm going to write a few chapters first so keep an eye out. So I guess that's it, here's chapter 9...**

**Weather Cancellation?**

Sara was putting on her shoes ready for Grissom to arrive at her apartment. Just as she tied her last knot a knock sounded at her door. As she opened it up to look at Grissom she unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh building in her belly. At first Grissom had a look of irritation on his face but as he spotted himself in a mirror hanging on a wall just inside her apartment he started to laugh. Looking back at Sara with an amused look on his face, he asked innocently, "What are you laughing at?"

Still laughing she replied, "You."

With a mock pout on his face he let out a low, "Oh." making her laugh harder.

Grabbing his soaked shirt by the collar, she pulled him inside her apartment shutting the door behind them. "Come here." Receiving a smile from him she took the response as an opportunity to kiss him. He put his arms around her lower back, kissing her with all the power he could muster. Their kiss wasn't rushed but it wasn't gentle either. It was full of lust making it even harder to pull away but the need for air was much greater. Releasing one another; Sara couldn't help but take another glance at his appearance and smile, her slim frame shaking from the laugh that was trying to erupt. He was soaked from head to toe. His hair was curled and appeared a wet black. His polo dress shirt looked a dark charcoal as compared to its light gray shade when dry. His normally black, baggy dress pants were no longer baggy, as the material clung to his legs showing off his form. "I take it that it's raining?"

"Yes as a matter-of-fact it is."

"That would explain your appearance."

"Does my situation amuse you?"

"Yes it does."

"Hopefully the feeling lasts because our plans to go to an amusement park are, as you probably now know, ruined. I guess I should have checked the weather report before hand." His smile faded and he began to feel guilty.

"Gil, look at me." He did and she continued, "It's fine really. I'm sure we could think of something else to do."

"Well I really don't want to go back out there." He smiled.

"Neither do I." She laughed. "How about we stay here this afternoon?"

"I think that's a much better idea."

"Here let's get you cleaned up."

"I guess it's a good thing I have extra clothes in my car."

"Comes with the job. Let me go get your clothes out of your car and you can go get out of those wet clothes. We can put them in my dryer."

"Are you sure? I'm already wet; I can go get my change of clothes."

"It's fine." With a smile she left him, standing in her living room, to his own devices as she went outside to his car. By the time she got back, he was waiting in the same spot she left him, still dressed with a towel in hand.

"I thought you may need this." Holding up the towel to her he began to laugh.

Stepping toward him, with a devilish look, she swayed her hips for extra measure until she was standing before him. She whispered seductively, "Think this is funny do you?"

He quickly stopped laughing and his face straightened. He looked into her eyes and almost breathlessly he replied, "Yes, I do." After a moment passed Grissom was the first to move. Cupping her face in his hands, he tilted his head down to take her lips with his own. She quickly reciprocated. As the kiss deepened and tongues duelled, she found herself dropping his extra clothes on the floor next to their feet so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. At the same time, his hands slipped from her face to wrap around her lower back.

After a few moments enjoying the moment this began to escalate. Sara's hands pulled apart and she glided her palms across his broad shoulders down his chest toward the top button of his shirt. Breaking the kiss she looked into his eyes begging for permission to continue. He looked into her eyes and found adoration and compassion within their depths. To answer her unspoken question, he leaned in and kissed her swollen, lustful lips; pulling her waist tighter to him.

She started to work the first button on his shirt. Once successfully popping it from its home; she moved her hands slowly down to the next. After the first three buttons she broke the kiss. She then, for the first time, could see a good portion of his chest. She slipped her hands in to his shirt to rub down his upper chest. Her touch was like scorching fire on his skin. He took the opportunity to lean in and take her ear lobe into his mouth. Sucking gently, he could feel her hands slow as he heard a slight moan escape her lips. She turned her head, giving him easier access. Anyone who was ever in her position knew there was always something erotic about having your ear sucked, if done correctly. And this man _knew_ what he was doing. The air escaping his nose, blowing into her ear mixed with the tingling feeling the sucking was creating; gave her goosebumps and warmed her in all the right places.

Sara could no longer take the teasing and pulled back slightly. She turned her head and took his lips with hers. Kissing him soundly, she went back to working the buttons on his shirt. Once she finished with the last button his shirt fell open. Again the kiss broke and they looked into one another's eyes. Looking down, she placed her hands on his abdomen, just above his pants, slowly guiding them up his 

chest to his shoulders with both of their eyes following the trail. Reaching his shoulders their eyes met. As she started to move from his shoulders to his arms she caught his shirt and dragged it with her on her quest down his arms. Reaching his hands, the shirt fell to the floor. Grissom took her hands in his and brought them to his lips as Sara watched completely enthralled by his actions. He released her hands to grip the hem of her shirt. Looking into her eyes, giving him silent permission, he continued; lifting her shirt slowly as his hands grazed her skin ascending toward her head.

As he reached her underarms she raised her arms up, allowing him to finish his task. He successfully removed her shirt, releasing it carelessly to the floor. Their lips again connected as they wrapped their arms around one another. Sara started to back up toward her bedroom and Grissom followed. His hands started to slither up her back stopping once they reached the clasp of her bra. He unclipped it, as Sara released her hold on him to shrug off the straps letting it fall unceremoniously to the floor. He took the moment to look her over. She truly was beautiful, inside out. He couldn't help but smile as he reached for her, receiving a smile in return. She tilted her head toward him to give him a kiss filled with every emotion surrounding them.

They continued their journey to her bedroom. Reaching the end of the hallway they stood in her doorway. Grissom grabbed hold of her pants, popping the button out of its home and slowly slipping the zipper down. He put his thumbs inside the sides of her pants hooking onto her panties as well, as his fingers held tight to the outside. Steadily, he started his descent down her firm hips. Once loose enough, they fell the rest of the way as he enveloped her in his arms. She feverishly stepped out of the garments. Grissom was the first to move toward the bed and Sara followed; backing up till her legs hit the edge of the mattress.

He gently led her to sit on the bed. As he stood before her, half naked, he was surprised to find that he was not nervous nor was he embarrassed. Sitting before him was the one woman he couldn't seem to get out of his mind for the past several years. She was everything he expected her to be and then some. She _was_ his definition of beauty. All of her flaws just made that fact all the more true. Her passion, intelligence, empathy, and strength made her more attractive to him. He loved her, everything about her was enticing. With that knowledge he knew this step was the right one to take.

She reached up to his belt buckle, holding tight she stopped to look into his eyes; giving him one last chance to say stop. Instead, he took her hands in his again, leant down and kissed her knuckles. She gently pulled away and continued to her task at hand. Sliding the strap out of his belt loop, she pulled it back to release the clip and slowly slid the belt from his pants tossing it to the floor carelessly while gazing into his eyes. She began to unbutton and unzip his pants, grabbing the wet, clingy material at the sides of his thighs pulling it down his legs to his knees, releasing her grip. He stepped out of his pants leaning over her he slowly descended onto the bed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders pulling him close.

Lying between her legs with only his briefs separating them, he started trailing kisses down her neck to the valley between her breasts. He had one hand steadying his weight above her head while the other was gripping her waist softly. He could hear the faint moans escaping her.

Sara could no longer wait. His attention to her body was outstanding; however, she needed to break the tension that had been building over all the years they've been fighting one another. She moved her arms from his neck and started to pull at his underwear. Getting the message loud and clear he moved his hand from her waist to grab onto his briefs and pull them down to his knees. Lifting a knee one at a time, he let them fall to his calves. Sara, trying to help him out, used her toes to pull them down over his heals and onto the floor. He settled down on top of her. For the first time she could feel the length of him, making her gasp at the hardness. He brought his lips back to hers as she put her hands in his hair, lightly tugging. She lifted a leg draping it over his lower back as she grinded up against him, making him groan in response. He knew what she wanted and he was in no position to deny her. He reached between their bodies grabbing his manhood and sliding it over her opening to test her readiness.

Gazing into her eyes he looked for any sign of trepidation or regret. Seeing nothing but love reflected in them he started to dip into her warmth. Slowly but surely he started to sink deeper into her depths. In unison, they each let out a long overdue moan. She smiled in that moment and pulled his face to hers kissing him with everything she had. He licked her lips and she opened her mouth to him. Their tongues came out to battle as he started to move inside her. The pace was slow at first allowing her to adjust to his size. Soon she was meeting him thrust for thrust, moaning to silently urge him to speed up. The pace started to quicken as their bodies searched for release.

There were many moans in the process neither knew for sure which belonged to who but they couldn't have cared less. The heat was building as was their orgasms. Each thrust sending them one step closer over the edge. The pace was fast and hard, both sweating profusely in the heat of the moment. Sara could feel the muscles in her stomach start to tighten and she wrapped her legs tighter around his body. Just as she could feel her muscles tightening around his length as her orgasm came in at an earth shattering rate she moaned, "Oh Gil!"

Grissom felt her grip on his length tighten and knew she had reached her orgasm. He dipped his head between her neck and shoulder, kissing and nibbling as he thrust a few more times. Moaning louder than he had yet; he came releasing every ounce of tension that built up over the years. A few moments later, he Let out a breath of air as he slipped from her body and fell down next to her. His chest heaving as he tried to slow his breathing. Both lay there sated with a smile on their face. Sara was the first to compose herself. She rolled to her side facing Grissom. She used one hand to support her head and she placed the other on his chest, feeling his heart beat steadily slowing down. She smiled down at him as he gazed into her eyes. He placed his hand on top of hers that was resting on his chest. He smiled up at her, feeling nothing but love for the woman before him. She took the moment to lean down and kiss him softly as he reciprocated.

Looking over at her clock she noticed that they had four hours before shift. They shifted on the bed so that they were lying with their heads on the pillows. Sara set her alarm to give them two and a half hours of sleep. Turning back to face Grissom she moved to slide down next to him under the sheets. He reached over and pulled her toward him so that she was lying half on his chest with her head in the 

crook of his arm. He kissed her forehead ever so softly and whispered, "Get some sleep." Within moments both fell asleep in the other's arms.

Sure enough two and a half hours later her alarmed went off. Grissom stirred. The bed was empty except for his form. He turned over to look behind him and there stood Sara as she approached the bed dressed and ready for work. Her famous sidle smile gracing her lips. "Hey." She said quietly as she handed him the cup of coffee in her hands.

"Hey." he smiled then propping himself up with his elbow, he took a sip. "Thank you." he said as he indicated the cup.

She bent down before him with her knees on the floor and asked, "Good sleep?"

"The best kind." She let out a small laugh at his response. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

A moment later she stood up and said, "Good because now you have to get ready for work." With that he got up and out of bed.

Approaching the bathroom he realized, "Sara?" she turned to see Grissom standing before her wearing only a pair of briefs. "Where are my –"

"Clothes?" she finished. "They're waiting for you in there." She pointed toward the bathroom.

He smiled. Stepping forward he held her in a hug. Gazing into her eyes, softly he said, "Thank you." and kissed her. Letting go he patted toward the bathroom and closed the door behind him. His words taken for face value were meaningless. But she knew him all too well to think that he was only speaking about clothes. His statement held a deeper meaning. He may not be comfortable saying 'I love you' but at least he makes the fact known in his own way, and Sara was fine with that. Yes, this was the beginning to a future that they would face together.

**Hope you liked this one. Knowing Grissom I'm sure you didn't expect any 'I love you' statements. If you did, sorry... haha In my opinion, I don't think he says I love you... ever lmao I think he finds ways of telling her without actually saying it. Like the episode **_**Ending Happy**_**, he didn't say it but he implied it... (not the exact wording but) he said sex without love makes you sad. Sara said, "I'm pretty sure I don't make you sad." And he replied "No, you make me happy." Tada he tells her he loves her though he didn't say "I love you." Typical Grissom, right? Haha**


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